Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe force matchup problems for Pistons opponents, forcing them to play big in an era when many teams prefer to play small.
The key to the Pistons' future will be forcing opponents to play their style. Drummond provided a prime example in Wednesday's 98-93 loss to the Boston Celtics.
With Drummond attracting the Celtics' attention by playing the passing lanes like a 6-foot guard and grabbing offensive rebounds, Monroe reaped the benefits, seeing plenty of one-on-one coverage inside.
"Anyone can fit, it's about making sacrifices and concessions to make it work," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "Greg is a very talented offensive player, there's not many guys who can both score and dribble and handle it at his size."
Drummond, just four games into his return from a stress fracture in his back, is still playing limited minutes, and he and Monroe only played together for the first six minutes of the first and third quarters. But the Pistons are keeping a close eye on what the pair accomplishes while sharing the floor.
"The more we see those guys together, the better," Frank said. "Regardless if they do great or struggle, it's not an indicator of what's to come but more things you can use to evaluate as you look at what we need to get better."
Drummond finished with eight points and nine rebounds (seven offensive) in 21 minutes while Monroe scored 24 with 17 rebounds.